It's A Start
by laolurve
Summary: A sequence of little mini-scenes that follow Alex and Olivia's little 'date' at the beginning of Theater Tricks  or at least my take on their little date :


Title: It's A Start  
>Rating: PGPG-13  
>ShowPairing: SVU: Alex/Olivia

Notes: Something a little different. Not quite drabbles, but not quite a single thread, either. This, I suppose, could be read on its own, but its inspiration was Alex and Olivia's scene at the beginning of Theater Tricks (as the title was also inspired by one of Olivia's quotes in that scene). These are five different miniscenes as I imagined them, generally in chronilogical order, all together describing the longer thread of Alex/Olivia's 'date'.

* * *

><p>When Olivia went to pick Alex up, the attorney greeted her at the door. Olivia was struck. "Wow... You look..." Olivia trailed off, her eyes wandering up and down Alex's still very slim, very fit frame.<p>

Alex let the comment linger for a moment before looking down at herself then back up at Olivia, "I look...?"

Olivia eyes came back up to Alex's, "You look fantastic," she concluded. But she then frowned slightly, afraid she'd maybe crossed some boundary they weren't ready to cross yet. "I'm sorry," she quickly added, "Is that okay for me to say?"

At that, Alex laughed out loud. "Do you really think I've changed that much?" Olivia frowned, not quite sure what Alex meant, so the blonde clarified, "Did I *ever* not love being told that I looked fantastic?"

A slow smile of relief and amusement started forming on Olivia's face, "Not that I recall."

"Well you recall correctly, then," Alex continued to smile while looking at the detective.

Olivia also continued to smile and then ventured, "So I can say it again is what you're saying?"

Alex's smile broadened, "You may, yes."

Olivia got a little bold then, at least momentarily not worrying or caring if there were boundaries they weren't supposed to cross yet. She stepped forward and placed a soft but lingering kiss on Alex's cheek before saying softly against her skin, "You look fantastic."

* * *

><p>"To us," Olivia said.<p>

The waiter returned to the table in time to see them touching their wine glasses together and taking a sip but not in time to have heard the words that preceded it. So he asked, "And what are we toasting to this lovely evening, if I may ask, ladies?"

The two seated women looked up at him then back at each other. Yeah, what *were* they toasting precisely? What did 'to us' really mean? They thought back over the last... god, how many years had it been? The memories. The good times. The GREAT times. The arguments. The fights. The make ups. The breakups. The separations. The reunions. The ups and downs and all arounds.

And they smiled at each other then. Understanding.

They turned back to the waiter, "The future," Alex answered his question.

* * *

><p>Olivia had filled Alex in on the few details she had gotten over the phone as they made their way to the car. After getting in and buckled up Olivia turned on the engine. As she reached over to turn up the car's heat and turn on the seat warmers she said, "How about next Saturday?"<p>

"Hm?" Alex looked over at the detective, figuring she had missed some connection between the information about the case Olivia had just relayed and next Saturday.

"Us," Olivia clarified. "You. Me. Another date," she kind of bobbed her head back and forth, "How about next Saturday?"

And just as Alex would have described Olivia's head bob as adorably hopeful, Alex knew that the smile she was sporting as she answered would likewise be described as adorably delighted. But she just didn't care. "Next Saturday sounds lovely."

* * *

><p>They fell into a mostly comfortable quiet on the way to the crime scene, their thoughts taking the women in different directions. Finally Alex broke the silence, picking up a thread of an earlier conversation, almost as if it hadn't been interrupted, "I went skating once in Wisconsin."<p>

Olivia looked over at the blonde's profile then back at the road.

Alex continued, "While we were on the ice my date told about the time he'd skated at Rockefeller Center. He asked me if I had ever been; if I'd ever seen The Tree."

Again Olivia glanced over again but remained silent.

Alex was also silent for another beat before she finished, "I told him I hadn't, but it sounded lovely."

Alex had tried to mask the crack in her voice but Olivia heard it. The detective automatically reached over and took one of Alex's hand and gave it a squeeze.

Alex squeezed back and closed her eyes, determined to live in the moment.

* * *

><p>"I..." Olivia trailed off as they pulled up to the crime scene and pulled the car to a stop. "Fin's meeting me here," she finally stated looking Alex in the eye.<p>

Alex knew why the detective was bringing it up. If it were one of the new detectives they may think nothing of having the ADA present. But Fin... Fin would know better. And Fin... Fin would know their history.

Alex inhaled. They hadn't really talked about it, but it was just sort of an understanding between them that they weren't really advertising that they were back together or at least that they were thinking of getting back together, or working at getting back together. They both wanted to take it slow and truth was, neither was ready to answer a lot of questions yet. But life sometimes makes decisions for you.

"If he says anything," Alex shrugged nonchalantly, "I'll just tell him I was in the neighborhood."

Olivia looked at Alex for several seconds before a smile started pulling at her lips, "As if any of them ever believed that line from us."

Alex couldn't help but laugh; and nod in agreement.

* * *

><p>"I've got accompany our victim to the hospital," Olivia had pulled Alex off to the side and had said the words quietly. "I'm sorry."<p>

Alex shook her head, "Don't be." And she meant it. Yes, she was disappointed. She hadn't expected to spend the night with Olivia but she was hoping to have at least spent the evening with her.

Olivia nodded. "I'm going to have one of the uniforms drive you home, okay?"

"Olivia, that's not necessary..." Alex began to protest but stopped at the look Olivia gave her, recognizing that look instantly and knowing there was no arguing with it. "Okay," she amended her answer.

Olivia then signaled one of the officers, a slightly pudgy male named Tanner who started making his way towards them. Seeing him Alex muttered, "Geez, you could have at least chosen that young woman with the short brown hair, couldn't you have?"

Olivia gave Alex a sharp look that was a mixture of uncertainty and surprise.

"Kidding," Alex assured the detective as she started to chuckle.

Olivia returned her laugh and shook her head. God, it was going to take some time getting used to each other again, but it felt good to tease. And felt good to laugh.

Actually, she realized, it just felt good, period.


End file.
